Privacy groups urge NIST to be more transparent

The groups, which include the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Silent Circle, and internet rights group Access among others, would like for NIST to make its online encryption standards as tough as possible.

The agency is currently working on a new set of principles surrounding cryptography following the Edward Snowden leaks which shed light on the National Security Agency's (NSA) attempt to weaken security standards to further its data collection practices.

According to the letter, the privacy organizations also want the agency to give outside experts the “opportunity to evaluate the technology,” and “ignore the NSA's input.”

Once the set of encryption principles are developed, NIST is required to consult with the NSA.